The British book trade - Sue Bradley

At the end of the twentieth century, the British publishing industry underwent radical changes: the old family firms were being replaced by conglomerates, while the ending of the Net Book Agreement, which had set prices between publishers and booksellers, gave shops new freedom to compete by cutting prices. The book trade has been poised at the center of British culture since printing began, and thus the stories collected here speak not just to the publishing industry but to a wider portrait of the times.

Drawn from the Book Trade Lives collection of in-depth oral history interviews recorded by National Life Stories and accessible through the British Library Sound Archive, this oral history is full of chatty anecdotes and fun, gossipy stories of the era.

These lively and engaging accounts offer a rare insider portrait of a significant time in publishing. To anyone with an interest in the book industry, this collection offers many lively and illuminating tales.

"An entertaining, informative and often very funny compilation."-Literary Review